cleaning teeth for my 7 years old dog (how much, terriers, vet)

[KD Hawaii]

I contacted the vet to find out how much it'll cost. They said $245 including all the shots, cleaning teeth, some medication that makes her go to sleep while cleaning..Is that excessive?

[KonaKat]

Call a few other vets and see what the comparison is in cost. We used to use Sunrise Vet Clinic on Eastern at Bonanza. Very nice people.

[RedRockAAAA]

We ran into the same problem(they cited possible future gum disease). We could find no alternative. City-Data does have a pet/dog section. Maybe you'd find a good comparison there. I'm sure the question has come up on that forum as well. Good Luck. My question was, why does my current dog cost so much when all my previous dogs were relatively vet bill free. My how times have changed. And you're afraid not to do the suggested work.

[Buzz123]

That doesn't sound excessive. I think it was more than that for us. A dog that age has to have tests to make sure he'll survive being put under, and they are expensive. I think we paid even more than that recently. And if you don't do it they could die from their tooth and gum problems. At seven years old they may have to pull a tooth or two also. We have to do it again for the younger dog in August. They have a sale twice a year so that's the time we shoot for to get it done. I know I should be brushing their teeth but it ain't easy when they don't want it done. I found some wipes in a catalog of dog products that I plan to order. You just put one on your finger and rub the teeth. It has the anti tarter stuff on it already so no toothpaste and no brushes.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by RedRockAAAA

We ran into the same problem(they cited possible future gum disease). We could find no alternative. City-Data does have a pet/dog section. Maybe you'd find a good comparison there. I'm sure the question has come up on that forum as well. Good Luck. My question was, why does my current dog cost so much when all my previous dogs were relatively vet bill free. My how times have changed. And you're afraid not to do the suggested work.

Yeah, back in the early 60's we had a cat that was hurt somehow...probably lost a fight with a dog. But his front leg was broken almost off and dangled by a thread. He spent over a week at the vet's, recovered completely, and the total bill was about $10.00. The vet said he recovered so well because we went to visit him every day. I guess most people wouldn't do that.

[olecapt]

The last week of Sprite's way out cost us close to $3000. To bury the pup.

That, by the way, was after some substantial discounts.

Dental on dogs has become a great profit center for vets. Live with it but only every couple of years. It has a rationale. But not too strong a one.

[rural lady]

Not that I want it be expensive to have this done, but I've seen it somewhat higher, are they going to insert an IV during the procedure in case something would go wrong with the anesthesia?

I would check other vets prices also and see what is included in their prices.

[ShelbyGirl1]

Actually, I don't think that is a bad price at all. It is the cost of the anesthesia that usually runs the bill so high.

[Viralmd]

That's CHEAP! Try prices in NYC!!!

[WestieJeff]

My wife is a vet locally and I know they quote $200 to $400 for a dental and can run up to $600 if there are many extractions. A dental on a dog or cat is not like dental on a human, they must be put under anesthesia and the dental generally includes not only the teeth cleaning but also extracting any decayed or fractured teeth. Depending on the tooth that needs to be extracted and how firmly planted in the mouth it is, they generally have to be surgically removed by a vet and then sewn back up.

Additionally, you have to consider if you are running pre-anesthesia blood work (to check for liver or kidney disease) and are they inserting an IV catheter? With an IV catheter, if there is a problem during anesthesia, they can quickly inject drugs into the blood stream which can save the life of your pet.

If you are getting a cheap price then it most likely not including extractions, blood work, and a catheter. Depending on the age of the animal, those are things you may want.

The reality is that some breeds are more prone to dental disease (especially small breeds like pomeranian, terriers, etc.) and need dentals more often.

National pet dental month is February and most clinics run some type of discount/special during that month.